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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · staff · hide · root · temple · rule · track · mate

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. track — to keep track
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. root — of a plant
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mate — to breed
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. track — a song
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. staff — employees
  22. mate — a partner
  23. track — a path
  24. deal — to handle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com